Thursday, January 8, 2015

Quick Strawberry Jam recipe

image courtesy: superhotmobile

Jams
and jellies, once a kingly delicacy, enjoyed and afforded only by the richer
class of society has now become part of almost all the cupboard shelves of
kitchens across the world. The word jam brings images of warm scones and crisp
toasts neatly spread with a generous serving of fresh, aromatic jam which not
only puts color to them but also gives it a delightful taste. May it be a
hurried breakfast or a lazily enjoyed evening tea; these fruity, fragrant
preserves are a delight to the taste buds.

Although
the advent of numerous products and brands in the market has made the making of
home-made jam a rare feat, still there are many a households who still swear by
their secretly hoarded recipes and will never buy one from the store.

Strawberry
jams are one of the most popular and loved variants of jams and freshly picked
strawberries can turn your jam into a sensuous delight. Try out this easy recipe
right in your own kitchen and see the difference from your store bought,
expensive jam.

Difficulty
level: Easy

Instructions:

The
ingredients needed to make the jam are about 4 cups of fresh strawberries, (the
fresher the better and the color should be bright red), 1 cup of sugar, ¼ cup
lemon juice. You can use 250 ml glass jars and sterilize them in hot water and
keep them ho till they are ready to be used.

Neatly
wash and hull the strawberries, place these into a metal pan and mash them till
the required consistency. Some prefer, neatly mashed while others like to have chunks of strawberry in their jams.

Take
a heavy bottomed pan and mix the mashed berries, sugar and lemon juice and stir
in low heat till the sugar is dissolved.

Once
the sugar is dissolved bring the stove to high and boil, all the while skimming
the foam away. Make sure to stir continuously and after testing the consistency
(place a spoon of the jam in a cold plate and if it is not running than the jam
is ready), place the jam into the sterilized bottles and seal neatly.

Tips:

Lemon
juice should be strained in case you are using fresh lemons.

After
filling and sealing they can be put in warm water again and then processed in a
water bath for preservation.